From August 1st, the Federal Council will begin digitalising the processes for obtaining Swiss citizenship. What exactly will this entail?
In a continued effort to go paperless, the federal government is stepping up the digital transformation of many of its key services.
One such major project is the long-in-the-works electronic identity card (e-ID).
Originally planned to be launched on December 1st, 2026, the mega-project is being delayed because of recent developments in artificial intelligence, new improvements are necessary to ensure data protection and security, the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) announced on June 30th, with a new launch date not yet revealed.
READ MORE: Why the introduction of Switzerland’s e-ID is being delayed
However, another digitalisation project – that of internal naturalisation procedures – is ready to launch.
What is it about?
Applying for citizenship in Switzerland has always required a lot of paperwork – both literally and figuratively.
That is about to change.
In the past – and still currently – there is a lot of paper trail involved in the process, with the federal government and cantonal migration authorities mostly communicating by post when it comes to naturalisation applications.
In the future, however, “communication between the responsible cantonal authorities and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) can take place digitally instead of by mail,” the government said in a press release.
“After reviewing naturalisation applications, cantons will now be able to forward them to SEM via the Central Migration Information System, using a new interface. In turn, the SEM will also be able to communicate its decision to grant or refuse federal naturalisation authorisation to the cantonal authorities through the same channel.”
The new system will initially be tested in a few cantons as part of a pilot phase starting on August 1st, with the remaining cantons to be connected to the system after the trial period is over.
Will the new system cover all applications for citizenship?
No.
It is reserved – at least for the time being – for those going through the ordinary, rather than fast-track, process.
This is what we know so far.
Here’s what we don’t know yet:
The main piece of information missing – and one that is most relevant to those applying for Swiss citizenship – is whether the new system will only benefit federal and cantonal immigration authorities, or also people seeking naturalisation.
